The first half saw both sides have numerous attempts to take the lead, however it was Milan who finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time. Xabi Alonso fouled Kaka and Andrea Pirlo took a shot at goal. The shot deflected off of Filippo Inzaghi, wrong-footing 'keeper Pepe Reina and putting Milan 1-0 up. Replay footage however showed that the ball struck Inzaghi on the arm, which was missed by the match officials. Milan's first goal shared similarities with their first goal from the 2005 final. In both finals, Milan took the lead via an Andrea Pirlo free kick that was awarded for a foul on playmaker Kaka.